On days when you need a break from the stresses of urban life, a walk in a city-park paradise can do wonders. Seek refuge at some of Houston’s standout sanctuaries so that you can keep calm and carry on. From an expanse that serves as home for the city zoo to a world-class skatepark, the eight parks below will make you forget you're in America’s fourth-largest city. Because there’s more to big-city living than towering office buildings and concrete slab, so read on for our picks for Houston's best parks.

The enjoyable and eclectic elements at Discovery Green, a 12-acre park situated across from the George R. Brown Convention Center, in downtown Houston, include interactive water features, eye-catching public art, and free community programming, such as writing workshops and workout classes. Although grounds are manicured, wild flora and fauna inhabit a one-acre lake that’s dotted with rentable kayaks and remote-controlled, battery-operated boats. Grab a bite at one of two restaurants (The Lake House, a fast-casual choice, or The Grove, a contemporary sit-down restaurant), then catch a ballgame at Minute Maid Park nearby.

A collaboration between The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art and architect Dan Phillips, Smither Park, in Houston's emerging East End, is an artistic venue for leisure-time activities. Here you'll find pieces designed and executed by more than 300 artists, many from Houston. The whimsical half-acre green space has an amphitheater, a memory wall, a meditation area, covered pavilion, swings, sculptures, and elaborate mosaics from recycled and recovered materials ranging from broken ceramics and bottle caps to tiles and sea shells.

Set on 160 acres that border the bayou and stretch to downtown, Buffalo Bayou Park offers something for everyone, including running and biking trails, a children’s play area, spectacular art sculptures like “Tolerance” by Jaume Plensa (seven silvery aluminum human figures that represent the seven continents), and The Dunlavy, a restaurant and event venue. There are also canoe and kayak rentals, a skatepark, a two-acre dog park, and 18 acres of wild flowers and prairies where you can spread out and picnic.

The colossal George Bush Park spans 7,800 acres and includes with an 11-mile network of hiking and biking trails. It’s all about the amenities here: three picnic pavilions, Little League baseball fields, two soccer leagues, playgrounds, a massive outdoor shooting range, a dog park, and a model airplane flying field. If you're hiking, take a load off at any of benches, which crop up at regular intervals, and take in the woodsy views.

The Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark is a 35,000-square-foot concrete facility set in the lush Buffalo Bayou Park, overlooking downtown. The place was designed for skaters of all levels, and the high energy of those that frequent it is contagious.
Free events, including skateboarding classes, amateur competitions for teens, and two bowls (one with a 22-foot cradle) attract local skaters, as well as pros from around the globe.

What sets Memorial Park apart from the rest of the pack is that 75 percent of the 1,466-acre municipal space is unmanicured. There are more than 40 official park activities, including a golf course, a public pool, croquet, tennis, and various sports fields for softball, baseball, soccer, and flag football. More than 30 miles of forest trails lead to Buffalo Bayou for mountain biking, cycling, and hiking; there's also a very popular three-mile running loop.

You may not think of a university as a go-to spot for a scenic afternoon, but Rice University is a 300-acre green oasis in the center of the country's fourth largest city. The entire campus, a designated teaching and research arboretum, regularly earns the Tree Campus USA designation from the Arbor Day Foundation. What can you expect once you’re here? More than 216 species of birds (making Rice one of the premier bird-watching locations in the nation), a 2.9-mile decomposed-granite sidewalk for walkers and joggers, distinctive architecture, and an extensive collection of public art.

The vibrancy of Hermann Park, which celebrated its centennial in 2014, comes from the six million visitors who come every year, all entering past a giant statue of Sam Houston. You can spend an entire day here; Hermann Park is home to the Houston Zoo, situated in the middle of the 445-acre spread, the Miller Outdoor Theatre (a free performing-arts venue), a Japanese Zen garden, an 18-hole golf course, bird-watching, and the scenic McGovern Centennial Gardens. For fishing enthusiasts, there's a lake filled with bass and catfish.